This summer is shaping up to be a good one for the sport of boxing with title unification bouts and the first on tap will be Jose Ramirez vs Josh Taylor to find the next undisputed light welterweight champion of the world.
Ramirez will be defending his WBC and WBO belts, while Taylor’s WBA, IBF and The Ring straps will be on the line. Looking at Ramirez vs Taylor odds, it is the latter who is the betting favorite. The two will do battle on May 22 at the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.
Online sportsbook [Sportsbook not available for your region] has released the Jose Ramirez vs Josh Taylor odds, with Taylor coming in as a -235 favorite and Ramirez coming back as a +185 underdog. This means you would have to wager $235 to profit $100 on a Taylor victory, while a $100 bet on a Ramirez win would profit you $185.
Ramirez vs Taylor Odds
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Jose Ramirez | +185 |
| Josh Taylor | -235 |
Odds as of May 19 at [Sportsbook not available for your region]
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Our sports betting calculator tells us that Taylor’s -235 betting odds represent an implied win probability of 70.15 percent while Ramirez’s implied win probability is 35.09 percent.
New to betting on the fights? Be sure to check out our great How to Bet on Boxing guide. Also, keep an eye on our boxing odds page for the latest up-to-date Jose Ramirez vs Josh Taylor betting odds.
Ramirez vs Taylor Odds Analysis
After closing as a slight underdog in the World Boxing Super Series light welterweight final when he fought Regis Prograis to win the WBA and The Ring titles, Taylor was a four-figure favorite in his first defense leading into this bout. The -235 line for “The Tartan Tornado” isn’t his longest as a favorite, having been only a -155 favorite in his first world title fight vs Ohara Davies in 2017.
Ramirez is a dog for the first time
While the 26-0 world champion Ramirez has had tight betting lines in the past, this is the first time that he will walk to the ring as a betting underdog. “JCR” has often been a four-figure favorite of -1000 or greater, though his tightest line came when he unified the WBC and WBO titles by fighting Maurice Hooker in July 2019. Ramirez was a -200 favorite in that bout and cashed with a sixth-round knockout.
Ramirez vs Taylor Preview
Not only are we going to crown the first undisputed light welterweight champion since Terence Crawford in 2017, but we also have two undefeated boxers colliding. Taylor is 17-0 with 13 wins coming by way of knockout and Ramirez is 26-0 with 17 knockout victories.
Taylor’s counters have to be on point
The Tartan Tornado loves to get in the pocket and exchange hands, wearing on his foes, crowding them and landing heavy when they back away. He is very elusive at distance with good footwork and head movement but doesn’t fire back immediately. Typically, if he finds an Sportsbook to counter, he decides to use that time to close distance and be a bully rather than letting his hands fly.
Ramirez has to get Taylor’s respect
JCR needs a Sportsbookary opponent to really employ his game plan. He stalks forward, cutting the cage down and waiting for his foes to make a mistake in their footwork so he can pounce with a flurry of powerful punches.
At times, he can get a little over-aggressive, throwing caution to the wind, which opens him up for counters. But if he lands, he gets his counterpart’s attention. Ramirez also struggles to defend jabs, often just absorbing them and throwing hooks in return.
Ramirez vs Taylor Pick
We have two aggressive fighters who go about their business in different ways. Taylor likes to go forehead to forehead and fight in a phone booth; while Ramirez closes the distance, he still maintains a gap in which he can load up and land heavy strikes.
The hand speed edge has to go to Taylor, though I would argue that the power edge would lean toward JCR. I think that Taylor will be able to avoid more shots and implement his game plan more effectively than the Tartan Tornado, but overall it will be a back-and-forth affair.
